


Summertime Sadness

by LTiger (Lazarusmycroft)



Category: The Magicians (TV), The Magicians - Lev Grossman
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, M/M, brakebills kids, i love my problematic kids, i love this scene and it deserves to be told properly, im here to fix some shit, my version of events
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-10-14 15:56:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10539738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lazarusmycroft/pseuds/LTiger
Summary: I just loved the boat scene in the book and I was sad that it was never in the show so I wrote my own interpretation.  It's kind of a mash up between the book and the show.





	

The day was warm, much warmer than it should have been given the fact that just recently Quentin had been living in an ugly, grey Manhattan November and now he was magically enjoying the late summer sun as he floated on a skiff lazily down the Hudson with his friend Eliot. Only a short time ago he had discovered the existence of actual, real magic and the even more unbelievable reality that he was a magician. He still awoke many nights and had to take a minute to remember where he was and that he wasn’t just dreaming it all. Just now he was reminded how very real things were by a nudge from an expensive and, most likely, Italian leather loafer. Eliot just couldn’t bear it when he wasn’t the center of attention and when he noticed Quentin’s mind wandering he would just give a less than gentle tap of his foot. It wasn’t difficult as Eliot’s long legs had no trouble filling their little boat all on their own, Quentin didn’t mind.

Quentin smiled sheepishly at him as he returned his full attention to the present. Eliot was in the act of lighting another cigarette and pretending to not notice Quentin now, he liked to act as though he didn’t demand as much attention as he did and everyone usually played right along, Quentin was no exception, why should he be? Eliot continued talking in his rambling way; some long story he was telling about the time he and Margo happened to be boning the same person and how they hilariously discovered the truth, it was mildly interesting and even a little funny in its own disturbing way but Quentin found himself just thinking about Eliot.

He seemed to exude an Oscar Wilde type of aura, Quentin had only just met him when he arrived at Brakebills and immediately he felt like he was the person on campus that he should be around. Eliot always seemed to know where and when the best party would be and if there wasn’t one then there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that he would simply throw one that would be talked about for years, possibly even decades. The boy was always dressed to the nines, it really didn’t seem to matter if it was ten in the morning or midnight he just looked... _dapper_...for lack of a better word. These weren’t necessarily all things that Quentin would normally care about or be attracted to but it was different with Eliot, he was also impressively smart, magic just came to him. He understood it and practiced it with as much precision as he used in his personal manicuring. Quentin also knew that there was something kindred about him, he was deeply sad and that was something that Quentin could fully understand.

As they floated along now though they were both relaxed and mostly their guard was down. The golden sun glinted softly off the dark curls on Eliot’s head revealing some lighter golden flecks throughout and his grey-white smoke curled into the air as it disappeared. Eliot’s legs were tangled between Quentin’s in a more than familiar kind of way, that’s how it was with him though, sometimes personal boundaries were non-existent and Quentin was strangely okay with it.

He snapped his attention back to the story yet again which seemed to be wrapping up as Eliot was leaning forward and laughing fully as he recalled the events, he was having trouble forming sentences now because he couldn’t stop laughing and, of course it became contagious, and Quentin found himself smiling and even chuckling along.

Eliot wiped at his face and a tear of laughter that was about to fall from his eye, “Quentin," he gasped, "you couldn’t believe the _look_ on Margo’s face!” he stopped as the memory and laughter took him again, “There we were, Todd on top of me, ass on full display as she barged in!”

Quentin was having no difficulty imagining the look that would’ve been on Margo’s face at first but her relationship with Eliot was more important than some random cock; everyone knew that.

Eliot continued talking as he lit yet another cigarette, “So….so...Todd jumps up and pulls the blankets so now I’m barely covered and the look of complete terror on his face as he looked between Margo and me.” he stopped and smoked his cigarette as he controlled his laughter.

So Quentin took advantage and asked, “So? What happened?” he wanted Eliot to know he was listening and interested.

Eliot finished his cigarette and flicked it in the water where it sizzled, his face lit up again, “So then Margo puts her hands on her hips and glares at us both before jumping in with us and kissing Todd on the mouth before kicking him out and then we took a nap.” he laughed again as he laid back and rested his head to look up at the blue white sky.

Quentin was laughing quietly, “So that was it? Neither of you freaked out about banging the same dude?”

Eliot didn’t look at him, “Freak out? Why would we?”

Quentin shrugged even though Eliot wasn’t looking, “I don’t know,” he said, “It just seems like the natural reaction to that situation.” his voice trailed off uncertainly.

Eliot was quiet again and Quentin just watched the pale white of his throat as his Adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed. After a while he wondered whether his friend had fallen asleep. He didn’t really know what to do with himself, he was fidgety and he wished Eliot would speak again or give him some direction as to what they should do next.

Finally Eliot pushed himself up on his elbows and looked directly at Quentin, it made him nervous so he looked down and tucked a strand of hair behind his ear before looking back. “Things are different here Quentin. This isn’t Yale or Harvard. Hell, it isn't even Columbia.  If you’re going to live in this world there are just some things you’re going to have to come to terms with.”

Quentin swallowed hard, “Uh, like what? Exactly?” he tried not to sound as nervous as he now suddenly felt.

Eliot leaned even closer and put his long fingered hands on each of Quentin’s knees, his long nose and unnaturally white, perfect teeth were close enough to Quentin’s face that he could smell the last cigarette that he’d smoked on his breath and Quentin was suddenly sweating down the back of his neck. He felt like they were in some kind of suspended animation and everything had slowed down around them until Eliot broke the spell.

“Like the fact that ‘ _normal_ ’ is what you define it as.”  he made the word sound dirty.

Quentin swallowed and blinked rapidly and then Eliot’s right hand was on the back of his neck and tangled in his hair as he pulled his face closer and kissed him. Quentin breathed a sigh of relief, he knew he was too afraid to do this on his own so a tingling sensation that had nothing to do with magic spread through his body as he melted into the moment.

Too soon Eliot backed away and scooted further to his end of the little boat as he searched for a cigarette.

Quentin felt like he must look stupid sitting with his hair messed and his mouth probably hanging open, Eliot was looking at him strangely. “That felt ‘normal’.” he said in his offhanded way.  The word sounded different this time.

“Uh-huh” was pretty much all that Quentin could stutter out. _Smooth_.

Before he was aware they were bumping softly into the shore and Brakebills was just off in the distance. Too soon the day was over. Margo just happened to be waiting for them at the shore as they scrambled up and onto the bank. She wrapped her arms around Eliot’s neck and kissed his jaw as she smiled cheekily at Quentin.

She dropped her hands and put them on her waist as she regarded Quentin, “Oh!” now she turned to Eliot, “You _didn’t_!” she slapped his arm playfully as he smiled widely and proudly. “Oh, El! You just can’t keep your hands off the first year boys, can you?”

Eliot shrugged, still smiling. “I like this one though, Bambi.”

Quentin was feeling really uncomfortable now. He felt like a specimen on display and he put his head down so his hair would fall over his right eye and conceal him a little until suddenly Eliot’s be-ringed fingers were around his wrist as he tugged him off toward The Cottage. “Come on, let’s go get drunk and make bad decisions.”

Margo howled as the three of them made their way across the lawn, “You make that sound like it’s something new El.”


End file.
